Latency monitoring for network devices

ABSTRACT

A network device comprises time measurement units configured to measure receipt times and transmit times of packets received/transmitted via network interfaces. One or more memories store configuration information that indicates certain network interface pairs and/or certain packet flows that are enabled for latency measurement. A packet processor includes a latency monitoring trigger unit configured to select, using the configuration information, packets that are forwarded between the certain network interface pairs and/or that belong to the certain packet flows for latency monitoring. One or more latency measurement units determine respective latencies for packets selected by the latency monitoring trigger unit using respective receipt times and respective transmit times for the packets selected by the latency monitoring trigger unit, calculates latency statistics for the certain network interface pairs and/or the certain packet flows using the respective latencies, and stores the latency statistics in the one or more memories.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/598,105, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,411,983, entitled “Latency Monitoringfor Network Devices,” filed on May 17, 2017, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent App. No. 62/338,061, entitled “LatencyMonitoring in Network Devices,” filed on May 18, 2016, and U.S.Provisional Patent App. No. 62/338,054, entitled “Method for EfficientComputation of Exponentially Weighted Moving Average,” filed on May 18,2016. All of the applications referenced above are incorporated hereinby reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present disclosure relates generally to communication networks, andmore particularly to measuring latency in a network device.

BACKGROUND

In a network device, it is often useful to measure performance metricssuch as internal packet latency. Such metrics are useful for detectionof faults and anomalies in the network device and/or in a communicationnetwork.

To measure internal latency, a network device records a time at which apacket is received (receipt time) by the network device, and alsorecords a time at which the packet is transmitted (transmit time) by thenetwork device. The network device compares the transmit time with thereceipt time to calculate a latency measurement for the packet. Thenetwork device uses latency measurements for multiple packets tocalculate latency statistics. For example, a network device may computerespective latency statistics for different ingress port, egress portpairs.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a network device comprises a plurality of networkinterfaces configured to couple to a plurality of network links, whereinnetwork interfaces among the plurality of network interfaces include, orare associated with, respective time measurement units configured tomeasure a) receipt times at which packets are received via network linksand b) transmit times at which packets are transmitted via networklinks. The network device also comprises one or more memories to storeconfiguration information, the configuration information indicatingcertain network interface pairs and/or certain packet flows that areenabled for latency measurement. Additionally, the network devicecomprises a packet processor coupled to the plurality of networkinterfaces, the packet processor including: a latency monitoring triggerunit coupled to the one or more memories, the latency monitoring triggerunit configured to select, using the configuration information, packetsthat are forwarded between the certain network interface pairs and/orthat belong to the certain packet flows for latency monitoring. Thenetwork device further comprises one or more latency measurement unitscoupled to the one or more memories, the one or more latency measurementunits configured to: determine respective latencies for packets selectedby the latency monitoring trigger unit using respective receipt timesand respective transmit times for the packets selected by the latencymonitoring trigger unit, calculate latency statistics for the certainnetwork interface pairs and/or the certain packet flows using therespective latencies, and store the latency statistics in the one ormore memories.

In another embodiment, a method includes: receiving a plurality ofpackets via a plurality of network interfaces of a network device;measuring, at the network device, respective receipt times at whichpackets were received via network links among the plurality of networkinterfaces; selecting, at the network device, packets that are beingforwarded between certain network interface pairs and/or belong tocertain packet flows for measuring latency using configurationinformation stored in one or more memories of the network device, theconfiguration information indicating certain network interface pairsand/or certain packet flows that are enabled for latency measurement;measuring, at the network device, respective transmit times at whichpackets are transmitted via network links among the plurality of networklinks; determining, at the network device, respective latencies forselected packets, that are being forwarded between the certain networkinterface pairs and/or belong to the certain packet flows indicated bythe configuration information, using respective receipt times andrespective transmit times for the selected packets; and storing thelatency information corresponding to the certain network interface pairsand/or the certain packet flows in the one or more memories of thenetwork device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an example network device configured tomake internal latency measurements, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram showing another view of the network device ofFIG. 1A, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an example method for determining whether alatency measurement should be performed for a packet received at anetwork device, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example method for selectively performinga latency measurement for a packet being processed by a network device,according to an embodiment, according to another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of another example method for determiningwhether a latency measurement should be performed for a packet receivedat a network device, according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of another example method for selectivelyperforming a latency measurement for a packet being processed by anetwork device, according to another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example method for calculating anexponentially weighted moving average (EWMA), according to anotherembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Computing respective latency statistics for every ingress port, egressport pair becomes more resource intensive as the number of ports of thenetwork device increases. For example, computing latency statisticsbased on every packet requires high computational resources, andrecording latency statistics for every ingress port, egress port pairrequires separate memory storage for each ingress port, egress port pairin some implementations. Thus, in embodiments described below, a networkdevice calculates latency statistics for selected ingress port, egressport pairs and/or selected packet flows. Also, in embodiments describedbelow, a network device computes latency statistics for sampled packetsrather than for every single packet.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an example network device 104 that isconfigured to measure internal packet latency, according to anembodiment. The network device 104 includes a plurality of networkinterfaces (e.g., ports) 108 configured to couple to respective networklinks. The network device 104 also includes a packet processor 112coupled to the ports 108. The packet processor 112 is configured toprocess packets received via the ports 108, and to determine one or moreother ports 108 via which packets are to be forwarded to one or moreexternal devices.

In an embodiment, the packet processor 112 is configured to storeidentifiers of network interfaces 108 via which packets are received bythe network device 100 (referred to herein as “source networkinterfaces”) in respective data units corresponding to the packets, suchas a packet descriptors corresponding to the packets.

In an embodiment, the packet processor 112 includes a packet classifier116. The packet classifier 116 is configured to determine to whichpacket flow a packet belongs by analyzing information in a header of thepacket, according to an embodiment. A packet flow corresponds to packetssharing certain shared characteristics. For example, a particular packetflow may be defined as packets with headers having a particular sourceaddress and a particular destination address, in an embodiment. Invarious embodiments, a packet flow may be defined as packets withheaders having particular common information such as one or more of i) aparticular source address, ii) a particular destination address, iii) aparticular virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier (ID), iv) aparticular priority, v) a particular packet type, etc. The packetclassifier 116 is configured to assign respective flow IDs to at leastsome packets, where the flow IDs indicate the respective flows to whichpackets belong, according to an embodiment. The packet classifier 116 isconfigured to store the flow ID assigned to a packet in the packetdescriptor corresponding to the packet, according to an embodiment.

In some embodiments, the packet classifier 116 includes, or is coupledto, a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) (not shown), or anothersuitable storage device, that stores correspondences between particularheader information and flow IDs; and the packet classifier 116 isconfigured to use header information of a packet to perform a lookup inthe TCAM (or other suitable storage device) to determine a particularflow ID to be assigned to the packet.

The packet processor 112 also includes a forwarding engine 120. Theforwarding engine 120 is configured to analyze header information inpackets to determine network interfaces 108 via which the packets are tobe transmitted (referred to herein as “target network interfaces”). Asmerely an illustrative example, the forwarding engine 120 is configuredto use a destination address in a header of a packet to perform a lookupin a forwarding database (not shown), which stores correspondencesbetween destination addresses and network interfaces 108, to determine aparticular network interface 108 via which the packet is to betransmitted. As another illustrative example, the forwarding engine 120is configured to use a VLAN ID in a header of a packet to perform alookup in a forwarding database (not shown) (e.g. the same forwardingdatabase discussed above or a different forwarding database), whichstores correspondences between VLAN IDs and network interfaces 108, todetermine a particular set of target network interfaces 108 for thepacket. The forwarding engine 120 is configured to store an ID of atarget network interface (or set of multiple target network interfaces)in the packet descriptor corresponding to the packet, according to anembodiment.

The network device also includes a clock 132. The clock 132 is atime-of-day clock, in an embodiment. The clock 132 is another type ofclock suitable for measuring internal packet latency, in an embodiment.

Each of at least some of the network interfaces 108 includes a timemeasurement unit 136, which is coupled to the clock 132. In anotherembodiment, at least some of time measurement units 136 are distinctfrom, but associated with, respective network interfaces 108. The timemeasurement unit 136 is configured to record respective receipt times ofpackets received at the corresponding network interface 108, and torecord respective transmit times of packets transmitted via thecorresponding network interface 108. In an embodiment, the timemeasurement unit 136 is configured to store the receipt time of a packetreceived at the corresponding network interface 108 in the packetdescriptor corresponding to the packet. In another embodiment, the timemeasurement unit 136 is configured to send the receipt time of a packetto the packet processor 112, and the packet processor 112 is configuredto store the receipt time in the packet descriptor corresponding to thepacket.

The packet processor 112 also includes a latency monitoring trigger unit144 coupled to a configuration memory 148. The configuration memory 148includes configuration information that indicates network interfaces 108that are enabled for latency monitoring, according to an embodiment. Theconfiguration memory 148 includes configuration information thatindicates flow IDs that are enabled for latency monitoring, according toanother embodiment. The configuration memory 148 includes both i)configuration information that indicates network interfaces 108 that areenabled for latency monitoring, and ii) configuration information thatindicates flow IDs that are enabled for latency monitoring, according toanother embodiment. In still other embodiments, the configuration memory148 includes other suitable configuration information indicating forwhich packets latency monitoring should be performed.

The latency monitoring trigger unit 144 is configured to, for at leastsome packets being processed by the packet processor 112, analyze i)configuration information stored in the configuration memory 148 and ii)information corresponding to the packet (e.g., in a packet descriptorcorresponding to the packet) to determine for which of the packetslatency monitoring should be performed. For example, in an embodiment,the latency monitoring trigger unit 144 analyzes i) a packet descriptorcorresponding to the packet, and ii) configuration information stored inthe configuration memory 148 to determine whether a source networkinterface 108 and a target network interface 108 are enabled for latencymonitoring. As another example, in an embodiment, the latency monitoringtrigger unit 144 analyzes i) a packet descriptor corresponding to thepacket, and ii) configuration information stored in the configurationmemory 148 to determine whether a flow to which the packet correspondsis enabled for latency monitoring.

Additionally or alternatively, the latency monitoring trigger unit 144is configured to, for at least some packets being processed by thepacket processor 112, determine for which packets latency monitoringshould be performed according to a sampling scheme, in some embodiments.For instance, the latency monitoring trigger unit 144 chooses every k-thpacket for latency monitoring, where k is a suitable positive integer,in an embodiment. As another example, the latency monitoring triggerunit 144 randomly or pseudo-randomly selects packets for latencymonitoring such that not all packets are selected, in an embodiment. Inan embodiment, packets are selected (e.g., sampled) from among anypackets forwarded between a particular pair of ports. In anotherembodiment, packets are selected (e.g., sampled) from among any packetsbelonging to a particular flow, e.g., packets corresponding to a sameflow ID. In another embodiment, packets are selected (e.g., sampled)from among all packets that the latency monitoring trigger unit 144otherwise determines latency monitoring should be performed.

The latency monitoring trigger unit 144 is configured to storeinformation in respective packet descriptors indicating whether latencymeasurements should be made for respective packets.

In an embodiment, the packet processor 112 comprises a hardware pipelineprocessor, and the classifier 116, the forwarding engine 120, and thelatency monitoring trigger unit 144 are pipeline elements of thepipeline processor. In another embodiment, the packet processor 112comprises multiple processors configured to execute machine readableinstructions stored in one or more memories (not shown), where theclassifier 116, the forwarding engine 120, and the latency monitoringtrigger unit 144 are implemented by the multiple processors executingmachine readable instructions.

A latency measurement unit 156 is configured to, in connection with apacket being transmitted via a target network interface 108, determinewhether the packet is enabled for latency measurement and selectivelycalculate a latency measurement if the packet is enabled for latencymeasurement. For example, the latency measurement unit 156 is configuredto calculate a latency measurement using a receipt time and a transmittime of the packet. The latency measurement unit 156 is also configuredto use the latency measurement (if calculated) to calculate one or morelatency statistics corresponding to a source network interface, targetnetwork interface pair, flow ID, etc., corresponding to the packet.

The latency measurement unit 156 is coupled to a latency measurementmemory 160, and the latency measurement unit 156 is configured to storelatency statistics calculated by the latency measurement unit 156 in thelatency measurement memory 160. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, theconfiguration memory 148 and the latency measurement memory 160 areincluded in separate memories. In another embodiment, however, a singlememory device includes at least some of the configuration memory 148 andat least some of the latency measurement memory 160.

In an embodiment, each of at least some network interfaces 108 includesa respective latency measurement unit 156. In another embodiment, atleast some of latency measurement units 156 are distinct from, butassociated with, respective network interfaces 108. In an embodiment,one or more latency measurement units 156 are associated with at leastsome network interfaces 108, and a latency measurement unit 156 isconfigured to calculate latency information corresponding to a group oftwo or more network interfaces 108.

In operation, the latency monitoring trigger unit 144 acts to filterpackets for latency measurement (e.g., by marking packet descriptorscorresponding to the packets) according to configuration data stored inthe configuration memory 148, so that the latency measurement unit 156performs latency measurement operations for filtered packets, accordingto an embodiment. For example, the configuration data stored in theconfiguration memory 148 indicates certain port pairs for which latencymeasurement is enabled, and the latency monitoring trigger unit 144 thusacts to mark packets forwarded between the certain port pairs, so thatthe latency measurement unit 156 performs latency measurement operationsfor packets forwarded between the certain port pairs, according to anembodiment. As another example, the configuration data stored in theconfiguration memory 148 indicates certain flow IDs for which latencymeasurement is enabled, and the latency monitoring trigger unit 144 thusmarks packets associated with the certain flow IDs, so that the latencymeasurement unit 156 performs latency measurement operations for packetsassociated with the certain flow IDs, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 1B is another block diagram of the example network device 104 thatgenerally illustrates an order of processing of a packet 150 bycomponents of the network device 104, according to an embodiment. FIG.1B is merely one illustrative example of an order of processing, andpackets may be processed according to another suitable order in otherembodiments.

The packet 150 is received at network interface 108 a, and the timemeasurement unit 136 of (or associated with) network interface 108 arecords a receipt time of the packet 150. The time measurement unit 136stores the receipt time in a packet descriptor corresponding to thepacket 150, in an embodiment. The packet processor 112 subsequentlystores the receipt time in the packet descriptor, in another embodiment.

The network interface 108 a stores, in the packet descriptor, anindicator of the network interface 108 a as a source network interfacefor the packet 150, in an embodiment. The packet processor 112subsequently stores, in the packet descriptor, the indicator of thenetwork interface 108 a as the source network interface for the packet150, in another embodiment.

The classifier 116 determines a flow to which the packet 150 correspondsand stores a corresponding flow ID in the packet descriptor. Theforwarding engine 120 determines that the packet 150 is to betransmitted via the network interface 108 d, and stores, in the packetdescriptor, an indicator of the network interface 108 d as a targetnetwork interface for the packet 150.

The latency monitoring trigger unit 144 analyzes i) configurationinformation stored in the configuration memory 148 and ii) informationin the packet descriptor corresponding to the packet 150 to determinewhether latency monitoring should be performed for the packet 150. Forexample, in an embodiment, the latency monitoring trigger unit 144determines that the network interface 108 a (the source networkinterface) and the network interface 108 d (the target networkinterface) are both enabled for latency monitoring. As another example,in an embodiment, the latency monitoring trigger unit 144 determinesthat the flow to which the packet 150 corresponds is enabled for latencymonitoring.

Additionally or alternatively, the latency monitoring trigger unit 144determines, according to a sampling scheme, that the packet 150 isenabled for latency monitoring, in some embodiments.

In response to determining that latency monitoring is to be performedfor the packet 150, the latency monitoring trigger unit 144 storesinformation in the packet descriptor that indicates latency measurementshould be performed for the packet 150. Thus, the latency monitoringtrigger unit 144 acts to filter packets for latency measurement (e.g.,by marking packet descriptors corresponding to the packets) according toconfiguration data stored in the configuration memory 148, according toan embodiment. For example, the configuration data stored in theconfiguration memory 148 indicates certain port pairs for which latencymeasurement is enabled, and the latency monitoring trigger unit 144 thusacts to mark packets forwarded between the certain port pairs toindicate that latency monitoring is to be performed, according to anembodiment. As another example, the configuration data stored in theconfiguration memory 148 indicates certain flow IDs for which latencymeasurement is enabled, and the latency monitoring trigger unit 144 thusmarks packets associated with the certain flow IDs to indicate thatlatency monitoring is to be performed, according to an embodiment.

Eventually, the packet 150 is provided to the network interface 108 dfor transmission. The time measurement unit 136 of (or associated with)the network interface 108 d records a transmit time of the packet 150.

The latency measurement unit 156 of (or associated with) the networkinterface 108 d analyzes the packet descriptor and determines that thepacket 150 is enabled for latency measurement, according to anembodiment. In connection with the packet 150 being transmitted via thetarget network interface 108 d, the latency measurement unit 156calculates a latency measurement for the packet 150. For example, thelatency measurement unit 156 calculates a latency measurement using thereceipt time and the transmit time of the packet 150. The latencymeasurement unit 156 also uses the latency measurement to calculate oneor more latency statistics corresponding to i) the source networkinterface, target network interface pair, and/or ii) the flow ID of theflow to which the packet 150 belongs, etc. The latency measurement unit156 then stores latency statistics calculated in connection with thepacket 150 in the latency measurement memory 160. Thus, the latencymeasurement unit 156 performs latency measurement operations for packetsfiltered by the latency monitoring trigger unit according toconfiguration data stored in the configuration memory 148, according toan embodiment. For example, the latency measurement unit 156 performslatency measurement operations for packets forwarded between certainport pairs indicated by configuration data stored in the configurationmemory, according to an embodiment. As another example, the latencymeasurement unit 156 performs latency measurement operations for packetsbelonging to certain flows indicated by configuration data stored in theconfiguration memory, according to an embodiment.

In an embodiment, the latency measurement unit 156 does not performlatency measurement operations for, or store latency statisticscorresponding to, packets that the latency monitoring trigger unit 144has not marked, according to an embodiment, thus saving computationalresources and/or memory resources.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an example method 200 for determiningwhether a latency measurement should be performed for a packet receivedat a network device, according to an embodiment. The latency monitoringtrigger unit 144 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) is configured to implement the method200, according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is described in the contextof the network device 100 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) for explanatory purposes. Inother embodiments, however, another suitable device (other than thelatency monitoring trigger unit 144) is configured to implement themethod 200 and/or the method 200 is performed in another suitablenetwork device other than the network device 100 (FIGS. 1A and 1B).

At block 204, it is determined whether both i) a source networkinterface 108 (e.g., a network interface 108 at which the packet isreceived), and ii) a target network interface 108 (e.g., a networkinterface 108 at which the packet will be transmitted) are enabled forlatency measurement. For example, in embodiments in which an indicatorof the source network interface 108 and an indicator of the targetnetwork interface 108 are stored in a packet descriptor corresponding tothe packet, the indicator of the source network interface 108 and theindicator of the target network interface 108 in the packet descriptorare analyzed to determine whether both are enabled for latencymeasurement. In an embodiment, block 204 includes analyzingconfiguration information stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 148 ofFIGS. 1A and 1B) to determine whether the source network interface 108and the target network interface 108 are both are enabled for latencymeasurement.

If it is determined at block 204 that both i) the source networkinterface 108, and ii) the target network interface 108 are enabled forlatency measurement, the flow proceeds to block 208. At block 208, asampling scheme is utilized to determine whether a latency measurementshould be performed for the packet. For instance, every k-th packet thatis determined to be otherwise enabled for latency monitoring is selectedfor latency monitoring, according to an embodiment. As another example,every k-th packet with both i) the source network interface 108, and ii)the target network interface 108 is selected, according to anotherembodiment. As yet another example, every k-th packet in a particularflow is selected, according to another embodiment. As still anotherexample, the sampling scheme involves a random or pseudo-randomselection according to a defined probability, in an embodiment.

If it is determined at block 208 that the packet is selected for latencymeasurement, the flow proceeds to block 212. At block 212, latencymeasurement for the packet is indicated as enabled. For example, anindicator that latency measurement for the packet is enabled is storedin a data unit, e.g., a packet descriptor, associated with the packet,according to an embodiment. The indicator is a field (e.g., a single bitfield, a multi-bit field, etc.) in the packet descriptor, in anembodiment, and the field is set to a value that indicates that latencymeasurement for the packet is enabled.

On the other hand, if it is determined at block 208 that the packet isnot selected for latency measurement, the flow proceeds to block 216. Atblock 216, latency measurement for the packet is indicated as notenabled. For example, an indicator that latency measurement for thepacket is not enabled is stored in the data unit, e.g., the packetdescriptor, associated with the packet, according to an embodiment.

If it is determined at block 204 that either i) the source networkinterface 108, or ii) the target network interface 108 is not enabledfor latency measurement, the flow proceeds to block 220. At block 220,it is determined whether a flow to which the packet belongs is enabledfor latency measurement. For example, in embodiments in which anindicator of the flow (e.g., a flow ID) to which the packet belongs isstored in the packet descriptor corresponding to the packet, theindicator of the flow in the packet descriptor is analyzed to determinewhether the flow is enabled for latency measurement. In an embodiment,block 220 includes analyzing configuration information stored in amemory (e.g., the memory 148 of FIGS. 1A and 1B) to determine whetherthe flow to which the packet belongs is enabled for latency measurement.

If it is determined at block 220 that the flow to which the packetbelongs is enabled for latency measurement, the flow proceeds to block208. On the other hand, if it is determined at block 220 that the flowto which the packet belongs is not enabled for latency measurement, theflow proceeds to block 216.

In other embodiments, an order of blocks of the method 200 is changed,one or more blocks are omitted, additional blocks are included, etc. Forexample, in an embodiment, the order of blocks 204 and 220 are reversed.As another example, block 208 is omitted, and the “yes” branches fromblocks 204 and 220 proceed to block 212. In yet another example, block220 is omitted and the “no” branch from block 204 proceeds to block 216.In still another example, block 204 is omitted.

In an embodiment, the latency monitoring trigger unit 144 comprisescircuitry configured to implement the method 200. For example, thecircuitry comprises a hardware state machine, according to anembodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example method 300 for selectivelyperforming a latency measurement for a packet being processed by anetwork device, according to an embodiment. The latency measurement unit156 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) is configured to implement the method 300,according to an embodiment, and FIG. 3 is described in the context ofthe network device 100 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) for explanatory purposes. Inother embodiments, however, another suitable device (other than thelatency measurement unit 156) is configured to implement the method 300and/or the method 300 is performed in another suitable network deviceother than the network device 100 (FIGS. 1A and 1B).

At block 304, it is determined whether the packet is enabled for latencymeasurement. For example, an indicator of whether latency measurementfor the packet is enabled is stored in a data unit, e.g., a packetdescriptor, associated with the packet, according to an embodiment, andthe indicator is analyzed to determine whether the packet is enabled forlatency measurement. The indicator is a field (e.g., a single bit fit, amulti-bit field, etc.) in the packet descriptor, in an embodiment; and afirst value of the field indicates that latency measurement for thepacket is enabled, whereas a second value of the field indicates thatlatency measurement for the packet is not enabled.

In an embodiment, the method 300 is used in conjunction with the method200, where the method 200 is utilized to set the field in the packetdescriptor that indicates whether the packet is enabled for latencymeasurement. In another embodiment, another suitable method (other thanthe method 200) is utilized to set the field in the packet descriptorthat indicates whether the packet is enabled for latency measurement.

If it is determined at block 304 that the packet is enabled for latencymeasurement, the flow proceeds to block 308. At block 308, a latencymeasurement for the packet is calculated. For instance, a transmit timeis compared to a receipt time to calculate a latency measurement for thepacket. In an embodiment, the transmit time and the receipt time areincluded in the data unit, e.g., the packet descriptor, associated withthe packet, and block 308 includes retrieving the transmit time and thereceipt time from the data unit associated with the packet.

At block 312, one or more latency statistics are updated using thelatency measurement calculated at block 308. For instance, an averagelatency is updated using the latency measurement calculated at block308. As another example, if the latency measurement calculated at block308 is smaller than a minimum latency statistic, the minimum latencystatistic is set to the latency measurement calculated at block 308. Asyet another example, if the latency measurement calculated at block 308is greater than a maximum latency statistic, the maximum latencystatistic is set to the latency measurement calculated at block 308. Inother embodiments, other suitable latency statistics are updated usingthe latency measurement calculated at block 308.

In an embodiment, the one or more latency statistics are stored in amemory, e.g., the latency measurement memory 160, and block 312 includesretrieving the one or more latency statistics from the memory and thenupdating the retrieved one or more latency statistics. In an embodiment,the one or more latency statistics correspond to the source networkinterface, target network interface pair for the packet, and block 312includes retrieving, from the memory, the one or more latency statisticsthat correspond to the source network interface, target networkinterface pair. In an embodiment, if latency statistics that correspondto the source network interface, target network interface pair for thepacket are not yet stored in the memory, block 312 includes setting theone or more latency statistics that correspond to the source networkinterface, target network interface pair using the measurementcalculated at block 308.

In an embodiment, the one or more latency statistics correspond to aflow to which the packet belongs, and block 312 includes retrieving,from the memory, the one or more latency statistics that correspond tothe flow to which the packet belongs. In an embodiment, if latencystatistics that correspond to the flow are not yet stored in the memory,block 312 includes setting the one or more latency statistics thatcorrespond to the flow using the measurement calculated at block 308.

At block 316, one or more latency statistics updated at block 312 arestored in a memory, e.g., the latency measurement memory 160.

Referring again to block 304, if it is determined at block 304 that thepacket is not enabled for latency measurement, the flow ends withoutcalculating a latency measurement or updating latency statistics. Thus,computational resources related to latency measurements are not utilizedfor packets that are not enabled for latency measurement.

In other embodiments, an order of blocks of the method 300 is changed,one or more blocks are omitted, additional blocks are included, etc.

In an embodiment, the latency measurement unit 156 comprises circuitryconfigured to implement the method 300. For example, the circuitrycomprises a hardware state machine, and one or more addition and/orsubtraction circuits for calculating updated latency statistics,according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of another example method 400 for determiningwhether a latency measurement should be performed for a packet receivedat a network device, according to another embodiment. The latencymonitoring trigger unit 144 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) is configured to implementthe method 400, according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is described inthe context of the network device 100 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) for explanatorypurposes. In other embodiments, however, another suitable device (otherthan the latency monitoring trigger unit 144) is configured to implementthe method 400 and/or the method 400 is performed in another suitablenetwork device other than the network device 100 (FIGS. 1A and 1B).

The method 400 is similar to the method 200 of FIG. 2, and like-numberedblocks are not discussed in detail for purposes of brevity.

If it is determined at block 204 that both i) the source networkinterface 108, and ii) the target network interface 108 are enabled forlatency measurement, the flow proceeds to block 408. At block 408, amemory location parameter (Latency_Profile) is set to indicate alocation in the latency measurement memory 160 at which latencystatistics are stored for a source network interface, target networkinterface pair, where the source network interface, target networkinterface pair corresponds to the packet. For example, Latency_Profileis set to Latency_Profile_(SRC)+Latency_Profile_(TGT), whereLatency_Profile_(SRC) is a memory location parameter corresponding tothe source network interface and Latency_Profile_(TGT) is a memorylocation parameter corresponding to the target network interface,according to an embodiment. Latency_Profile_(SRC) is a base address of asection of memory corresponding to the source network interface, andLatency_Profile_(TGT) is an address offset corresponding to the targetnetwork interface, according to an embodiment. Latency_Profile_(TGT) isa base address of a section of memory corresponding to the targetnetwork interface, and Latency_Profile_(SRC) is an address offsetcorresponding to the source network interface, according to anotherembodiment.

In an embodiment, block 408 includes storing the parameterLatency_Profile to a field in the packet descriptor. In anotherembodiment, the parameter Latency_Profile is not stored in the packetdescriptor at block 408.

The flow then proceeds to block 412, at which it is determined whether aflow to which the packet belongs is enabled for latency measurement.Block 412 is similar to block 220 of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment.If it is determined at block 412 that the flow to which the packetbelongs is enabled for latency measurement, the flow proceeds to block416. At block 416, the memory location parameter (Latency_Profile) isset to indicate a location in the latency measurement memory 160 atwhich latency statistics are stored for the flow to which the packetbelongs.

In an embodiment, block 416 includes storing the parameterLatency_Profile to a field in the packet descriptor. In anotherembodiment, the parameter Latency_Profile is not stored in the packetdescriptor at block 416.

After block 416, or if it is determined at block 412 that the flow towhich the packet belongs is not enabled for latency measurement, theflow proceeds to block 208.

Block 420 is similar to block 212 of FIG. 2, and block 424 is similar toblock 216 of FIG. 2 according to an embodiment. In an embodiment, block420 includes storing the parameter Latency_Profile to a field in thepacket descriptor. In another embodiment, the parameter Latency_Profileis not stored in the packet descriptor at block 420. In an embodiment,Latency_Profile is also an indicator of whether latency measurement isenabled for the packet. For example, at block 416, Latency_Profile isset to a predetermined value that indicates latency measurement is notenabled for the packet, whereas when the flow reaches block 420,Latency_Profile is set to some value that is different than thepredetermined value, thus indicating that latency measurement is enabledfor the packet.

In other embodiments, Latency_Profile is stored in a field in the packetdescriptor separate from the field that indicates whether latencymeasurement is enabled for the packet.

In other embodiments, an order of blocks of the method 400 is changed,one or more blocks are omitted, additional blocks are included, etc. Forexample, in an embodiment, an order of the blocks 204 and 220 arereversed, and an order of the blocks 408 and 416 are reversed. Asanother example, block 208 is omitted, and the flow block 416 proceedsto block 420. In yet another example, blocks 220, 412, and 416 areomitted and the “no” branch from block 204 proceeds to block 416. Instill another example, blocks 204, 408, and 412 are omitted.

In an embodiment, the latency monitoring trigger unit 144 comprisescircuitry configured to implement the method 400. For example, thecircuitry comprises a hardware state machine, according to anembodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of another example method 500 for selectivelyperforming a latency measurement for a packet being processed by anetwork device, according to another embodiment. In some embodiments,the method 500 is used in conjunction with the method 400 of FIG. 4, onanother suitable method.

The latency measurement unit 156 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) is configured toimplement the method 500, according to an embodiment, and FIG. 5 isdescribed in the context of the network device 100 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) forexplanatory purposes. In other embodiments, however, another suitabledevice (other than the latency measurement unit 156) is configured toimplement the method 500 and/or the method 500 is performed in anothersuitable network device other than the network device 100 (FIGS. 1A and1B).

The method 500 is similar to the method 300 of FIG. 3, and like-numberedblocks are not discussed in detail for purposes of brevity.

At block 504, it is determined whether the packet is enabled for latencymeasurement. Block 504 is similar to block 304 of FIG. 3, in someembodiments. In embodiments in which the parameter Latency_Profile inthe packet descriptor also serves as an indicator of whether the packetis enabled for latency measurement, block 504 includes comparing theparameter Latency_Profile to a predetermined value that indicates thatthe packet is not enabled for latency measurement.

If it is determined that the packet is not enabled for latencymeasurement, the flow ends. On the other hand, if it is determined thatthe packet is enabled for latency measurement, the flow proceeds toblock 308 at which a latency measurement for the packet is calculated.

After block 308, the flow proceeds to block 512. At block 512, one ormore latency statistics are updated using the latency measurementcalculated at block 308. Block 512 is similar to block 312 of FIG. 3, insome embodiments. In an embodiment, the one or more latency statisticsare stored in the latency measurement memory 160 at a location indicatedby the parameter Latency_Profile, and block 512 includes retrieving theone or more latency statistics from the memory at the location indicatedby the parameter Latency_Profile, and then updating the retrieved one ormore latency statistics. In an embodiment, if latency statistics are notyet stored in the memory at the location indicated by the parameterLatency_Profile, block 512 includes setting the one or more latencystatistics using the measurement calculated at block 308.

At block 516, one or more latency statistics updated at block 512 arestored in the latency measurement memory 160 at the location indicatedby the parameter Latency_Profile.

In other embodiments, an order of blocks of the method 500 is changed,one or more blocks are omitted, additional blocks are included, etc.

In an embodiment, the latency measurement unit 156 comprises circuitryconfigured to implement the method 500. For example, the circuitrycomprises a hardware state machine, and one or more addition and/orsubtraction circuits for calculating updated latency statistics,according to an embodiment.

As discussed above, in some embodiments, the latency measurement unit156 is configured to calculate an average latency using a latencymeasurement. The latency measurement unit 156 uses any suitable methodfor calculating the average latency, in various embodiments. Oneillustrative method for calculating an average for a series of values isdescribed below, which the latency measurement unit 156 uses tocalculate the average latency, in some embodiments. The illustrativemethod for calculating an average is used by the network device 100, oranother suitable network device, to calculate an average of anothersuitable parameter, such as a packet delay metric between the networkdevice 100 and another network device, a packet loss metric, etc.

Given a series of values x₁, x₂, x₃, . . . , an exponentially weightedmoving average (EWMA) for the series of values is defined as:A _(n+1)=(1−α)A _(n) +αx _(n)+1  Equation 1where n is an index, A₁=x₁ (e.g., A₁ is the EWMA of x₁), A_(n) is theEWMA after the nth value of x (x_(n)), and α is a parameter between zeroand one. If α is required to be ½^(M), where M is a positive integer,then Equation 1 can be rewritten as:A _(n+1)=(2^(M) A _(n) −A _(n) +x _(n+1))/2^(M)  Equation 2Multiplying a number represented as a sequence of binary digits (e.g.,bits) by 2^(M) can be computed by left-shifting the number M times(denoted by <<M). Similarly, dividing a number represented as a sequenceof binary digits (e.g., bits) by 2^(M) can be computed by right-shiftingthe number M times (denoted by >>M). Thus, Equation 2 can be rewrittenas:A _(n+1)=(A _(n) <<M−A _(n) +x _(n+1))>>M  Equation 3

In an embodiment, an average latency statistic (Latency_(AVG)) isupdated using a new latency measurement (Latency_(NEW)) according to:Latency_(AVG,updated)=(Latency_(AVG)<<M−Latency_(AVG)+Latency_(NEW))>>M   Equation 4

In an embodiment, the latency measurement unit 156 comprises circuitryconfigured to calculate Equation 3 and/or Equation 4. For example, thecircuitry comprises a hardware state machine, one or more shiftregisters, and one or more addition and/or subtraction circuits,according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example method 600 for calculating anEWMA for a series of values x₁, x₂, x₃, . . . , according to anotherembodiment. The latency measurement unit 156 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) isconfigured to implement the method 600, according to an embodiment. Inother embodiments, however, another suitable device (other than thelatency measurement unit 156) is configured to implement the method 600.In some embodiments, the latency measurement unit 156 (FIGS. 1A and 1B)is configured to use the method 600 to calculate Equation 3 and/orEquation 4 in conjunction with updating a latency statistic.

At block 604, a previous EWMA A_(n) is left shifted M times. In anembodiment, block 604 comprises loading A_(n) into a shift register andcontrolling the shift register to left-shift A_(n) M times to generateA_(n)<<M.

At block 608, TEMP=A_(n)<<M−A_(n)+x_(n) is calculated. Block 608comprises first calculating Temp=A_(n)<<M−A_(n), and then calculatingTemp=Temp+x_(n), according to an embodiment. Block 608 comprises firstcalculating Temp=A_(n)<<M+x_(n), and then calculating Temp=Temp−A_(n),according to another embodiment. Block 608 comprises first calculatingTemp=x_(n)−A_(n), and then calculating Temp=Temp+A_(n)<<M, according toyet another embodiment. In an embodiment, block 608 comprises using oneor more addition and/or subtraction circuits.

At block 612, the EWMA A_(n+1) is calculated by right-shifting Temp Mtimes. In an embodiment, block 612 comprises loading Temp into a shiftregister and controlling the shift register to right-shift Temp M timesto generate A_(n+1).

In an embodiment, a network device comprises a plurality of networkinterfaces configured to couple to a plurality of network links, whereinnetwork interfaces among the plurality of network interfaces include, orare associated with, respective time measurement units configured tomeasure a) receipt times at which packets are received via network linksand b) transmit times at which packets are transmitted via networklinks. The network device also comprises one or more memories to storeconfiguration information, the configuration information indicatingcertain network interface pairs and/or certain packet flows that areenabled for latency measurement. Additionally, the network devicecomprises a packet processor coupled to the plurality of networkinterfaces, the packet processor including: a latency monitoring triggerunit coupled to the one or more memories, the latency monitoring triggerunit configured to select, using the configuration information, packetsthat are forwarded between the certain network interface pairs and/orthat belong to the certain packet flows for latency monitoring. Thenetwork device further comprises one or more latency measurement unitscoupled to the one or more memories, the one or more latency measurementunits configured to: determine respective latencies for packets selectedby the latency monitoring trigger unit using respective receipt timesand respective transmit times for the packets selected by the latencymonitoring trigger unit, calculate latency statistics for the certainnetwork interface pairs and/or the certain packet flows using therespective latencies, and store the latency statistics in the one ormore memories.

In other embodiments, the network device also comprises one of, or anysuitable combination of two or more of, the following features.

The one or more memories store per-interface information indicatingnetwork interfaces, among the plurality of network interfaces, that areenabled for latency measurement; and the latency monitoring trigger unitis configured to: identify packets that are being forwarded betweenpairs of enabled network interfaces using the per-interface information,and responsive to identifying packets that are being forwarded betweenpairs of enabled network interfaces, select packets for latencymonitoring that are being forwarded between pairs of enabled networkinterfaces.

The packet processor includes a classifier configured to identify packetflows with which packets are associated; the one or more memories storepacket flow configuration information indicating packet flows, among aplurality of packet flows, that are enabled for latency measurement; andthe latency monitoring trigger unit is configured to: identify packetsthat belong to flows enabled for latency measurement using the packetflow configuration information, and responsive to identifying packetsthat belong to flows enabled for latency measurement, select packets forlatency monitoring that belong to flows enabled for latency measurement.

The packet processor is configured to generate respective packetdescriptors for packets received via the plurality of networkinterfaces; the latency monitoring trigger unit is configured to store,in selected packet descriptors, information that indicates packetscorresponding to the selected packet descriptors are selected forlatency monitoring; and the one or more latency measurement units areconfigured to determine for which packets latency statistics are to becalculated using information in the packet descriptors.

The latency monitoring trigger unit is configured to store, in packetdescriptors corresponding to packets selected for latency monitoring,information that indicates where in the one or more memories latencystatistics for packets selected for latency monitoring are to be stored;and the one or more latency measurement units are configured to storelatency statistics in the one or more memories at locations determinedusing information in the packet descriptors.

The one or more latency measurement units are configured to: determine alatency for a packet selected by the latency monitoring trigger unit forlatency monitoring by comparing a receipt time of the packet and atransmit time of the packet; calculate an updated average latency usinga previously calculated average latency stored in the one or morememories and the determined latency for the packet; and store theupdated average latency in the one or more memories.

The one or more latency measurement units are configured to: calculatethe average latency as an exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA).

The one or more latency measurement units include one or more shiftregisters; and the one or more latency measurement units are configuredto calculate the EWMA at least by: calculating a multiplication of thepreviously calculated average latency by a parameter by left shiftingthe previously calculated average latency in the one or more shiftregisters, and calculating a division of an intermediate calculation bythe parameter by right shifting the previously calculated averagelatency in the one or more shift registers.

The one or more memories comprise a first memory and a second memory;the first memory stores the configuration information; the latencymonitoring trigger unit is coupled to the first memory and is configuredto use the configuration information stored in the first memory; and theone or more latency measurement units are coupled to the second memoryand are configured to store the latency statistics in the second memory.

The one or more memories comprise a single memory; the single memorystores the configuration information; the latency monitoring triggerunit is coupled to the single memory and is configured to use theconfiguration information stored in the single memory; and the one ormore latency measurement units are coupled to the single memory and areconfigured to store the latency statistics in the single memory.

At least some of the latency measurement units are included inrespective network interfaces.

In another embodiment, a method includes: receiving a plurality ofpackets via a plurality of network interfaces of a network device;measuring, at the network device, respective receipt times at whichpackets were received via network links among the plurality of networkinterfaces; selecting, at the network device, packets that are beingforwarded between certain network interface pairs and/or belong tocertain packet flows for measuring latency using configurationinformation stored in one or more memories of the network device, theconfiguration information indicating certain network interface pairsand/or certain packet flows that are enabled for latency measurement;measuring, at the network device, respective transmit times at whichpackets are transmitted via network links among the plurality of networklinks; determining, at the network device, respective latencies forselected packets, that are being forwarded between the certain networkinterface pairs and/or belong to the certain packet flows indicated bythe configuration information, using respective receipt times andrespective transmit times for the selected packets; and storing thelatency information corresponding to the certain network interface pairsand/or the certain packet flows in the one or more memories of thenetwork device.

In other embodiments, the method also includes one of, or any suitablecombination of two or more of, the following features.

The method further includes: identifying, at the network device, packetsthat are being forwarded between pairs of enabled network interfacesusing per-interface information, stored in the one or more memories,that indicates network interfaces, among the plurality of networkinterfaces, that are enabled for latency measurement; and responsive toidentifying packets that are being forwarded between pairs of enablednetwork interfaces, selecting, at the network device, packets forlatency measurements that are being forwarded between pairs of enablednetwork interfaces.

The method further includes: identifying, at the network device, packetflows with which packets are associated; identifying, at the networkdevice, packets that belong to flows enabled for latency measurementusing packet flow configuration information, stored in the one or morememories, that indicates packet flows, among a plurality of packetflows, that are enabled for latency measurement; and responsive toidentifying packets that belong to flows enabled for latencymeasurement, selecting, at the network device, packets for latencymonitoring that belong to flows enabled for latency measurement.

The method further includes: generating respective packet descriptorsfor packets received via the plurality of network interfaces; storing,in packet descriptors corresponding to packets that are selected forlatency monitoring, information that indicates the packets are selectedfor latency monitoring; and determining for which packets latencystatistics are to be calculated using information in the packetdescriptors.

The method further includes: storing, in packet descriptorscorresponding to packets that are selected for latency monitoring,information that indicates where in the one or more memories latencystatistics for packets that are selected for latency monitoring are tobe stored; and storing latency statistics in the one or more memories atlocations determined using information in the packet descriptorscorresponding to packets that are selected for latency monitoring.

The method further includes: calculating an updated average latencyusing a previously calculated average latency stored in the one or morememories and a determined latency for a packet; and storing the updatedaverage latency in the one or more memories.

Calculating the updated average latency comprises calculating anexponentially weighted moving average (EWMA).

Calculating the EWMA comprises: calculating a multiplication of thepreviously calculated average latency by a parameter by left shiftingthe previously calculated average latency; and calculating a division ofan intermediate calculation by the parameter by right shifting thepreviously calculated average latency.

At least some of the various blocks, operations, and techniquesdescribed above may be implemented utilizing hardware, a processorexecuting firmware instructions, a processor executing softwareinstructions, or any combination thereof. When implemented utilizing aprocessor executing software or firmware instructions, the software orfirmware instructions may be stored in any computer readable memory suchas on a magnetic disk, an optical disk, or other storage medium, in aRAM or ROM or flash memory, processor, hard disk drive, optical diskdrive, tape drive, etc. The software or firmware instructions mayinclude machine readable instructions that, when executed by one or moreprocessors, cause the one or more processors to perform various acts.

When implemented in hardware, the hardware may comprise one or more ofdiscrete components, an integrated circuit, an application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), etc.

While the present invention has been described with reference tospecific examples, which are intended to be illustrative only and not tobe limiting of the invention, changes, additions and/or deletions may bemade to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A network device, comprising: a plurality ofnetwork interfaces configured to be coupled to a plurality of networklinks; a plurality of time measurement units associated with theplurality of network interfaces, respective time measurement units amongthe plurality of time measurement units being configured to measure a)receipt times at which packets are received via respective network linksand b) transmit times at which packets are transmitted via respectivenetwork links; one or more memories to store configuration information,the configuration information indicating one or both of i) certainnetwork interface pairs and ii) certain packet flows that are enabledfor latency measurement; a packet processor coupled to the plurality ofnetwork interfaces, the packet processor including: a latency monitoringtrigger unit coupled to the one or more memories, the latency monitoringtrigger unit configured to select for latency monitoring, using theconfiguration information, one or both of i) packets that are forwardedbetween the certain network interface pairs and ii) packets that belongto the certain packet flows; and one or more latency measurement unitscoupled to the one or more memories, the one or more latency measurementunits configured to: determine respective latencies for packets selectedby the latency monitoring trigger unit using respective receipt timesand respective transmit times for the packets selected by the latencymonitoring trigger unit, so that, for packets that are not selected bythe latency monitoring trigger unit, no latencies are determined by thenetwork device, calculate latency statistics for the one or both of i)the certain network interface pairs and ii) the certain packet flowsusing the respective latencies, including calculating an updated movingaverage latency using a previously calculated moving average latencystored in the one or more memories and a determined latency for apacket, and store the updated moving average latency in the one or morememories.
 2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the one or morelatency measurement units are configured to calculate an updatedweighted moving average latency using a previously calculated weightedmoving average latency stored in the one or more memories and thedetermined latency for the packet.
 3. The network device of claim 2,wherein the one or more latency measurement units are configured tocalculate an updated exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA)latency using a previously calculated EWMA latency stored in the one ormore memories and the determined latency for the packet.
 4. The networkdevice of claim 1, wherein: the one or more latency measurement unitsinclude one or more shift registers; and the one or more latencymeasurement units are configured to calculate the updated moving averagelatency at least by: calculating an intermediate value at least bycalculating a multiplication of the previously calculated moving averagelatency with a parameter by left shifting the previously calculatedmoving average latency in the one or more shift registers M times,wherein M is a positive integer corresponding to a weighting parameter,and calculating a division of the intermediate value by the parameter byright shifting the intermediate value in the one or more shift registersM times.
 5. The network device of claim 4, wherein: the one or morelatency measurement units are configured to calculate the intermediatevalue also by subtracting the previously calculated moving averagelatency, and adding the determined latency for the packet.
 6. Thenetwork device of claim 1, wherein the one or more latency measurementunits are configured to: determine a latency for a packet selected bythe latency monitoring trigger unit for latency monitoring by comparinga receipt time of the packet and a transmit time of the packet.
 7. Thenetwork device of claim 1, wherein: the packet processor includes aclassifier configured to identify packet flows with which packets areassociated; the one or more memories store packet flow configurationinformation indicating packet flows, among a plurality of packet flows,that are enabled for latency measurement; and the latency monitoringtrigger unit is configured to: identify packets that belong to flowsenabled for latency measurement using the packet flow configurationinformation, and responsive to identifying packets that belong to flowsenabled for latency measurement, select packets for latency monitoringthat belong to flows enabled for latency measurement.
 8. The networkdevice of claim 1, wherein: the packet processor is configured togenerate respective packet descriptors for packets received via theplurality of network interfaces; the latency monitoring trigger unit isconfigured to store, in selected packet descriptors, information thatindicates packets corresponding to the selected packet descriptors areselected for latency monitoring; and the one or more latency measurementunits are configured to determine for which packets latency statisticsare to be calculated using information in the packet descriptors.
 9. Thenetwork device of claim 8, wherein: the latency monitoring trigger unitis configured to store, in packet descriptors corresponding to packetsselected for latency monitoring, information that indicates where in theone or more memories latency statistics for packets selected for latencymonitoring are to be stored; and the one or more latency measurementunits are configured to store latency statistics in the one or morememories at locations determined using information in the packetdescriptors.
 10. The network device of claim 1, wherein at least some ofthe latency measurement units are included in respective networkinterfaces.
 11. A method for measuring latency in a network device, themethod comprising: receiving a plurality of packets via a plurality ofnetwork interfaces of the network device; measuring, at the networkdevice, respective receipt times at which packets were received vianetwork links among the plurality of network interfaces; selecting, atthe network device, packets that are at least one of i) being forwardedbetween certain network interface pairs and ii) belong to certain packetflows, for measuring latency using configuration information stored inone or more memories of the network device, the configurationinformation indicating at least one of i) the certain network interfacepairs and ii) the certain packet flows, that are enabled for latencymeasurement; measuring, at the network device, respective transmit timesat which packets are transmitted via network links among the pluralityof network links; determining, at the network device, respectivelatencies for the selected packets using respective receipt times andrespective transmit times for the selected packets; calculating anupdated moving average latency using a previously calculated movingaverage latency stored in the one or more memories and a determinedlatency for a packet; and storing the latency information correspondingto the at least one of i) the certain network interface pairs and ii)the certain packet flows, in the one or more memories of the networkdevice, including storing the updated moving average latency in the oneor more memories.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating theupdated moving average latency comprises calculating an updated weightedmoving average latency using a previously calculated weighted movingaverage latency stored in the one or more memories and the determinedlatency for the packet.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein calculatingthe updated weighted moving average latency comprises calculating anupdated exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) latency using apreviously calculated EWMA latency stored in the one or more memoriesand the determined latency for the packet.
 14. The method of claim 11,wherein calculating the updated moving average latency comprises:calculating an intermediate value at least by calculating amultiplication of the previously calculated moving average latency witha parameter by left shifting the previously calculated moving averagelatency in the one or more shift registers M times, wherein M is apositive integer corresponding to a weighting parameter; and calculatinga division of the intermediate value by the parameter by right shiftingthe intermediate value in the one or more shift registers M times. 15.The method of claim 14, wherein calculating the intermediate valuefurther comprises: subtracting the previously calculated moving averagelatency; and adding the determined latency for the packet.
 16. Themethod of claim 11, wherein determining respective latencies comprises:determining a latency for a selected packet by comparing a receipt timeof the packet and a transmit time of the packet.
 17. The method of claim11, further comprising: identifying, at the network device, packets thatare being forwarded between pairs of enabled network interfaces usingper-interface information, stored in the one or more memories, thatindicates network interfaces, among the plurality of network interfaces,that are enabled for latency measurement; and responsive to identifyingpackets that are being forwarded between pairs of enabled networkinterfaces, selecting, at the network device, packets for latencymeasurements that are being forwarded between pairs of enabled networkinterfaces.
 18. The method of claim 11, further comprising: identifying,at the network device, packet flows with which packets are associated;identifying, at the network device, packets that belong to flows enabledfor latency measurement using packet flow configuration information,stored in the one or more memories, that indicates packet flows, among aplurality of packet flows, that are enabled for latency measurement; andresponsive to identifying packets that belong to flows enabled forlatency measurement, selecting, at the network device, packets forlatency monitoring that belong to flows enabled for latency measurement.19. The method of claim 11, further comprising: generating respectivepacket descriptors for packets received via the plurality of networkinterfaces; storing, in packet descriptors corresponding to packets thatare selected for latency monitoring, information that indicates thepackets are selected for latency monitoring; and determining for whichpackets latency statistics are to be calculated using information in thepacket descriptors.
 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:storing, in packet descriptors corresponding to packets that areselected for latency monitoring, information that indicates where in theone or more memories latency statistics for packets that are selectedfor latency monitoring are to be stored; and storing latency statisticsin the one or more memories at locations determined using information inthe packet descriptors corresponding to packets that are selected forlatency monitoring.